#momlife

new year

For the past few years, Daniel and I have made our New Years Resolutions together (a wonder exercise for young all married people). We usually visit Memaw and Pa in DeLeon for Christmas and conveniently have 3 hours in the car for lots of reflection, brainstorming and list making. Last year, we each made 10 resolutions each and agreed on 10 family resolutions. (Pats on the back for accomplishing lots improving most)

Admittedly we’re a bit late this year (let’s blame it on that CA Christmas and 3 hour plane rides with a baby) with our trip to DeLeon almost a full month in to 2013. And since I’m trying to cut back on the over share… Here’s a selection of our Family P 2013 Resolutions (basically… all the ones we’re not too embarrassed to share.) Feel free to keep us accountable…

– Pit Pad Improvements (PART 2): Take pride in the exterior of our home – front yard and landscaping, picking up trash, home for trashcans, fix shed, spruce up back yard, create an outdoor space for Olivia.

– Generally speaking, buy more organic and local (especially groceries and gifts). Support the little guy.

There ya go… Here’s to hitting “Publish” in the hopes of keeping myself accountable.

1. Exercise regularly to feel good and lose baby weight. Aim to be back at goal weight by June/July. Walk daily (with Durch). Pick-Up yoga again and practice strength training/toning through workout videos like Tracy Anderson Post Preg Workout and Metamorphisis.

June 2012 Update: Officially gained 58 pounds with Liv. The first 30 pounds came off with little to no effort at all. The second 30… I’m having to REALLY work for. Loosing about a pound a week by eating healthy and exercising as much as lil nugget will let me. She thinks it’s hilarious to watch me dance around like a fool with Tracy Anderson. As of today – I have 13 pounds to lose to achieve pre-baby weight. I still cannot fit in to a single pair of pre-prego jeans… but some of my looser “boyfriend” style pants and shorts are starting to fit again. THANK GOODNESS.

October 2012 Update: As of 2 weeks ago – I am officially back down to my pre-baby weight! Everyone promised me that as soon as I stopped stressing about it that the pounds would melt away… As skeptical as I was (and still am) the past few months have been so incredibly active that in addition to a slightly more conscience diet and a few sit-ups… and by a few… I mean – as many as I can get in before Olivia starts playing “climb the mommy.”

END OF YEAR UPDATE: Not even the holidays ruined my weight-loss marathon! And there’s that whole nursing an 11 month old baby thing… I’m telling you. BREAST FEED YOUR BABIES. I mean… who wouldn’t want to burn an extra 700-1000 calories a day.

2. Slowly eliminate soda and sugar beverages from diet. Minimize to one a week. Drink more water. Choose tea instead of coffee. Take Vitamins.

June 2012 Update: Well.. I’m doing GREAT with the vitamins. Still taking these prenatals ( below) recommended by brother Gorham. As for cutting out soda… I’m still working on that. Attempting to cut back on caffeine and eventually cut out completely.

Octover 2012 Update: Still doing great with minimizing sugar beverages but could definitely drink more water. As silly as it may sound – Dan and I both started drinking water during the day out of Tervis cups… which has REALLY helped. Also still taking a daily prenatal. Giving up coffee though… that’s just never going to happen.

END OF YEAR UPDATE: Really have done a great job at minimizing soda and tea… coffee… not so much.

October 2012 Update: The closest I’ve come to supplemental income is filing a petition to recapture our 2010/2011 homestead exemption. Hopefully in the next few months we’ll collect a nice little check for that… other than that… Dan brings home the bacon… and I bring home the sugar (AKA baby kisses)

END OF YEAR UPDATE: Although this technically came to fruition in 2013… I’m going to go ahead and say it counts… I’ve started doing a little bit here and there (mostly babysitting and working the resale/ garage sale market) to pick up some extra cash)

October 2012 Update: Cross this one off the list. I will say – I never really wear my contacts. And my glasses are way more hipster than I thought that they would be – but hey, I can see.

END OF YEAR UPDATE: Now I just need to work on some prescription sunglasses.

7. Stop Using Macy’s card and spending irresponsibly on credit cards.

June 2012 Update: I suppose progress is progress…

October 2012 Update: Two words – Paid OFF.

END OF YEAR UPDATE: Thinking that 2013 will be our year.

8. Keep the house clean between monthly maid service. Do dishes after every meal. Manage Durch hair with new vacuum. Laundry as needed, not waiting until Sunday to do it all. Spread cleaning out throughout the week

June 2012 Update: I will say… it is becoming easier and easier to keep the house picked up… mainly because I can “pick-up” in short spurts all day long… and do laundry, dishes, etc. HOWEVER … cleaning, with a baby… that’s a whole other story. I have made the bed every day for 2 weeks. I feel like I deserve a gold star for that… at least.

October 2012: I feel like I’m in the same place I was in June with keeping a clean house. The fact of the matter is… it’s hard to really CLEAN a 100 year old house… Or that might just be a little bit of an excuse. I mean.. baseboards are baseboards. Maybe my resolution next year will be to better utilize nap time by tackling tasks like… dusting… and well, yah. baseboards. I have continued to make the bed EVERY day and keep the laundry under control.

END OF YEAR UPDATE: Not much change since October… although I’m comfortable with that.

October 2012 Update: all those yucky issues… I did caulk the shower/tub in the master bathroom to further prevent water from leaking under the house… Dan and I agreed the other night that if we plan to stay in this house for another few years minute, we need to make a plan for some NECESSARY improvements.

June 2012 Update: I did collect all of the frames from around our house and do a 4X6, 5X7, and 8X10 tally of photos that need to be replaced! Figured I’d start there!

October 2012 Update: HAHA… Was it really June that I collected all of those frames? They’re still in a pile in the guest bedroom… waiting for new pictures. I will say that I did finally clear off 2,800 images off my iphone (I got the dreaded “You Do Not Have Enough Memory To Capture An Image” message) and backed up all my iphoto pictures to Picasa. Still need to print/frame our wedding pictures, maternity pictures, Olivia’s newborn pictures and 2 rounds of family portraits….

END OF YEAR UPDATE: I have a feeling that this will be a lifelong resolution. Daniel and I did brainstorm some new data storing solutions (I currently use Picasa and google Drive to save/store all our family data and pics)… and have a great idea for how I’d like to print/save pictures in a family year book… more on that in our 2013 Resolution post.

DAN

1. Complete 2 certifications: CCNA, MCSE, & VCP by August 2012

June 2012 Update: Dan has been taking a test every-other week and will have completed both by Sept 1!

October 2012 Update: Completed – VCP4, VCP5, MCSA, MCITP, MCSE and since his CCNA expires soon… considering starting to study for a CCDP. (Disclaimer: I have no idea what most of the above acronyms stand for – In my eyes, Dan is a certified techie badass.

END OF YEAR UPDATE: No change since October – Still a certified Badass.

2. Seek out and secure a new career path.

Update June 2012: As I mentioned above, Dan started at his new job with Consuro/Enterhost the week before Olivia was born! A crazy hectic time for our family, but his new boss/coworkers were incredibly accommodating and even let him work from home quite a bit for the first few weeks! I’d have to let him elaborate on the technical job specifics…

October 2012 Update: Dan is still loving his job at Consuro/ Enterhost – they recently opened new offices less than 5 minutes from our house near downtown Dallas so his commute has improved dramatically although he has been traveling quite a bit as the company is quickly growing and expanding.

END OF YEAR UPDATE: Dan accepted a new position in the R&D Department at VMWare… since his job is super high-tech and all kinds of classified… I’ll let him decided if he wants to share more here.

3. EAT MORE VEGETABLES, try new foods

June 2012 Update: if burrito bowls are considered a new food… we’re succeeding here.

October 2012 Update: If only salsa were considered a vegetable.

END OF YEAR UPDATE: No, Cilantro is not a vegetable.

4. Start an Internet venture

June 2012 Update: Check back on this one… I think we may have stumbled upon something together…

October 2012: Stay tuned for “Keep or Toss” coming 2013…

END OF YEAR UPDATE: @DANIELSCOTTT what happened to K or T?

5. Make and Take lunch/breakfast/coffee @ least 4 days a week.

June 2012 Update: We’ve both been much better at eating at home or packing snacks/meals for when we’re out

October 2012 Update: being on a tight budget definitely makes this easier.

END OF YEAR UPDATE: Since the new gig frequently caters breakfast and lunch…. this has only become easier.

6. Get in shape. Get Bigger muscles.

October 2012 Update: in all of his spare time – Daniel joined a gym and now runs 500 miles a week, lifts lots weights and also drinks protien shakes all day long. JUST KIDDING. Maybe next year we’ll both really get in shape?

END OF YEAR UPDATE: Still rocking the Seth Cohen look.

7. Go to Doctor & Dentist

October 2012 Update: At the risk of sounding like I’m nagging…. Despite my nagging – Daniel hasn’t quite made it to the Doc/Dentist yet.

END OF YEAR UPDATE: And another year passes…

8. Keep a positive attitude at work

June 2012 Update: Instead he got a new job. haha JUST KIDDING. All jokes aside… I think Dan would agree that he’s made progress here.

October 2012 Update: Dan has been working SO incredibly hard to provide for our little family. He brings work home on most nights but is great about making sure that we spend the 5pm-9pm hours together as a family (mostly uninterrupted). Then he frequently works after the baby and I have gone to bed. He really never complains about the long days, weeks, etc. His work ethic is unmatched by any I’ve ever seen and the way he keeps a positive attitude even in moments of sheer exhaustion always amazes me.

9. Do special things for Meg – Dates. Flowers. Bring Sexy Back

June 2012 Update: Dan is incredibly good at picking up the slack with dishes, laundry, and general picking up (especially while Olivia and I enjoy our nighttime bath, massage, songs + books, routine. That’s special sexy in my book…

October 2012 Update: Dates + Flowers? Not so much. Making me feel special and beautiful… always.

END OF YEAR UPDATE: Do Love Tweets count?

10. Practice Patience

October 2012 Update: I think Dan would agree – we have the Durch to thank for his daily does of patience practice.

June 2012 Update: Having a baby has made this resolution so much easier to achieve. Not really because of the baby-in-a-bar factor (most of our favorite places to eat suddenly feel like bars) because… we’re totally fine with having our baby in a bar as long as it’s early and there’s a NO SMOKING sign. Moreso because of the sheer cost of eating out….we’re spending that money on diapers… We do indulge on a weekly basis at our new favorite spot: Stackhouse Burgers, great because it’s definitely family friendly, great food and Deep Ellum IPA on tap.

October 2012 Update: Having a baby learning to live on a VERY tight budget has made this VERY easy. Daniel bought me a Meal Planning tool for Christmas last year that has definitely come in handy. I’ve found that if the dinner plan is publicly posted – I’m 90% more likely to stick to it. I’ve learned to do all of the grocery shopping in one trip instead of buying as we decide what to cook. Also embraced the dreaded “leftover night.”

END OF YEAR UPDATE: Lately we’ve fallen short of this resolution, with more frequent meals out and lots of sandwich/ crock pot nights. Maybe 2013 will bring more inspiring menu selections.

2. Visit Tricia & family in Lena, IL

June 2012 Update: It doesn’t look like Dan will be able to take the time off work with the amount of vacation time he has in this first year at Consuro. We’re tentatively thinking about a trip next Spring or Summer. Although I think Tricia + the girls are going to get to come to TX this summer! We can’t wait to meet our new niece Remie!

October 2012 Update: Nothing new to repot. Although Tricia + the girls have made a few trips down to Dallas to visit.

END OF YEAR UPDATE: Gotta get on this!

3. Start recycling bottles and cans.

June 2012 Update: Cross this one off the list! We ordered a recycling bin (Actually.. Gramma G ordered it from the city while she was here on her last trip! Thanks Gramma G!!).

October 2012 Update: Now if we could just get the cans out on the right day of the week…. DAN.

END OF YEAR UPDATE: DONE

4. Spend Christmas in So. Cal with Family Gorham, including weekend in Big Bear, New Years celebration 2013

June 2012 Update: Although we haven’t firmed up these plans yet…they’re definitely on the calendar firmly in pencil!

October 2012 Update: Tickets purchased! We fly out on Christmas Eve (yes, we’re traveling with a 10 mo old on one of the busiest travel days of the year!) Daniel can only take a week off of work but Olivia and I are going to stay an extra week and soak up some Poppa G+ GeeGee time.

5. Get Macy’s/BofA Credit Cards paid off/ Make a new savings plan for Little Liv

June 2012 Update: B of A card… what’s that? yep! got that one paid off! WOOOhooo… Just working on all those Macy’s purchases. I’m convinced that’s why they give you an employee discount… so that you can afford the interest rates.

October 2012 Update: It’s really no secret that we’ve struggled to adjust to becoming a one income family… Overnight we increased expenses, decreased income and encountered several unexpected financial burdens… and have STILL managed to keep our credit card debt to a minimum. This year has been a clear exercise in trusting God to provide. And this year… isn’t over yet.

END OF YEAR UPDATE: Adjusting financially in 2012 was without doubt one of our biggest challenges… leaving us with (still a relatively small amount) some debt but we’ve got a plan to tackle it and are finally settling into a comfortable spending and saving routine.

6. Find a church where we feel at home. Stop bouncing around.

June 2012 Update: We’ve been going to Fellowship White Rockfor the past month or so. Not 100% sure that it’s the right fit but we’re going to stick it out for another few weeks to see if we click.

October 2012 Update: Giggling now… knowing that when you post a link (like above) to a managed site… for example, a church’s website… that someone (from said church) will inevitably visit and read your blog then refer to you as “The Blogging Couple” for the rest of all time. That being said… We’re REALLY glad that we “stuck it out” at Fellowship White Rock – as we really have come to find a fit.

END OF YEAR UPDATE: Feeling even more awesome about White Rock Fellowship. Getting more involved, making friends. Oh, and Daniel is drumming again… which makes me SO SO happy.

June 2012 Update: We did have a garage sale a few month ago! Raked in $250 (minus a $15 fee payable to the city of Dallas…. Note: In the city of Dallas you MUST acquire a permit for a yard or garage sale AND you cannot post signs unless they are on your personal property… WHOOPS. Did not know that. So.. other than the minor citation from a Dallas… uhh garage sale inspector? it was a huge success!)

October 2012 Update: We’re just about ready to have another garage sale. Also looking forward to selling at the next Just Between Friends (which unfortunately isn’t until next Spring – so we can add that to next years resolutions)

END OF YEAR UPDATE: Actually… we’re having a garage sale this weekend… and planning to sell at JBF in March.

8. Make new friends. Keep in touch with old friends.

October 2012 Update: Dan and I have both made huge efforts to put ourselves out there (individual and as a couple/family) in order to meet new people (Especially families). I joined MOPS this fall and got connected in a Mom’s bible study at church. We’ve definitely stayed busy with play dates and daytime activities. Definitely still feeling a bit isolated on some days but reminding myself to embrace the special alone time I get to spend with Olivia. Overdue for some quality catch-up with time with some of my long distance pals 😉

END OF YEAR UPDATE: Definitely will continue to grow some of the new friendships we made in 2012

9. Celebrate 2nd anniversary by doing something special

October 2012 Update: Considering the degree of celebration we showed our 1st anniversary – I’d say we made some progress this year. We managed to make it out for dinner (@ Sissy’s Southern Kitchen) and to the Texas State Fair while the Grandmas babysat. Nothing glitzy… but hey! we’re not really the glitziest of people.

END OF YEAR UPDATE: Maybe I should start planning for year 3 now?

10. Take more pictures (journal/blog/baby book) to document young married life + Baby P’s first year.

Update: turns out… it’s easy to take TONS of pictures of a beautiful baby… I’ll post one.. just because I can. Although I need to get better at getting pictures of all three of us!

However, we did meet up with Deena Riley of Deena Riley Photography to shoot some family portraits at sunset at the Filter Building on White Rock Lake! Here’s a shot from the preview she posted: (Olivia WOULD NOT smile… I know what you’re thinking… “WHAT?!! That baby? wouldn’t smile???”… NOPE… not even a smirk. But… WHATEVER. She’s still beautiful. And we love her… in all of her stinker-ness.

October 2012 Update: 2,800 iphone pictures later… I STILL don’t have many pictures of all three of us. Recently, MOPS reposted a challenge that I’d seen floating around the internet encouraging moms to stay IN the picture. Especially in the next few months, with all of the holidays, Olivia’s 1sts, etc. I’m going to make more of an effort to get myself (AND DAN!) in front of the camera!

END OF YEAR UPDATE: Another one that should be carried to the new year…